Hey y'all! Well, it's the top 13 tonight after the hatchet job last week - as I said before, I would much rather have the tough cut on one night than to string out bad performances week after week, so hopefully that bodes well for tonight…

Speaking of tonight - it's the girls vs. the boys, in more ways than one. Mary J. Blige is working with Jimmy Iovine on the song selections in rehearsal, with the girls singing Whitney Houston songs and the boys singing Stevie Wonder songs. But that's not all: Tomorrow they will take the lowest ranking boy and the lowest ranking girl, and then the judges will decide which one to save.

JOSHUA: "I Wish" - He's got a "Pee Wee Hermann as performed by Flip Wilson" thing going on in his movement. Wanting him to break out into the Tequila song/dance. Maybe that's what he means by out of his comfort zone? I really like his voice and he has soul - but that wasn't memorable for me by the end of the night I'm guessing.

ELISE: "I'm Your Baby Tonight" - The girl who was on fire? Jimmy picked the right song for her for sure. Great performance all the way around - her voice has such an interesting timber to it. My only complaint with her is that I think her voice gives off a "knowing, shrewd" quality that is very cool and interesting, and I don't see that as much in her facial expressions - they seem a little lackluster.

JERMAINE: "Knocks Me Off My Feet" - He's gained confidence even after one week. The first verse and chorus were killer, but by the time he was singing "I don't want to bore you with this…" I was.. well… a bit bored, until that last run at the end of the song. Then he had me back.

ERIKA: "I Believe in You and Me" - That was a great performance all the way around. I enjoyed this so much more than her offering last week, and i think it confirms the judges' choice to keep her over Jen last week. Honest. Beautiful.

COLTON: "Lately" - He's sharp and flat all at the same time. I didn't think that was possible. I know that this guy has his fans, but I just don't get it. Kind of reminds me of how I felt about David Cook, but I guess there's a market for that since Cook won American Idol back in the day and now sells at least hundreds of CDs.

SHANNON: "I Have Nothing" - Sandy from Grease wants her leather back. She may have had it in rehearsal, but this one got away from her a little bit. It's a combo of being too young to have experienced what this song is communicating, plus the difficulty of the song just swallowing her up. It's too bad, because she doesn't deserve to have that handed to her. She shouldn't have tried to do that without a microphone stand.

DEANDRE: "Master Blaster" - Is he saying actual words or just scatting? Bob Marley-Mumble? This was completely boring for me and didn't show off what was/is great about his voice, which is too bad - I can't imagine him staying out of trouble tomorrow night.

SKYLAR: "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" - Is tonight's wardrobe sponsored by the Jacket Coalition? She successfully managed to turn this song into a country story-song. Wow. She has such charisma, and I think she could win it all. Fire!

HEEJUN: "All Is Fair" - He'd better have some money notes toward the end here or he's going to lose his mojo with this slow number. Last note was just a touch flat. I still like him a lot, but that song wasn't doing him any favors in my opinion.

HOLLIE: "All The Man That I Need" - I think this arrangement is making her seem less impressive than she is. Until that last note, ironically, when the band stopped. She's got an amazing instrument, I just wish that the pacing of the song wasn't so milquetoast.

JEREMY: "Ribbons In The Sky" - The verses are suffering from mumble-land like Deandre. It's not great for me, but I get his appeal for sure. I think the fact that Deandre and Jermaine went with uptempo numbers might save this kid for one more week.

JESSICA: "I Will Always Love You" - If anyone could do this, it's her. Such control and so volatile at the same time. Bam - she's fantastic. Now she has to stop doing that thing with her fingers. Well deserved standing ovation.

PHILLIP: "Superstition" - To be fair to the other competitors, I couldn't understand a word he said except the word superstitious. But I didn't care. That was hawt. That was a spectacle, which is surprising considering that his mode is more like "contained" fireworks. It was great to see him bring along a band to come with him on his vibe.

RANDOM NOTES:
Randy gave his first good note in the history of the show when he said that Elise was "boxing" with the song. Dead on. And helpful. And it didn't have "dog" or "come on" in it at all.
I'm not comfortable with JLo's constantly saying "goosies."
I feel like Steven Tyler is gonna do that thing where you put your elbow on the table and it gives out on you and you fall over.
Okay, I don't know what's going on over at The Voice, but nothing in X Factor first season could compare to tonight's performance by Jessica Sanchez. Seriously. American Idol ain't going anywhere my friends.

Okay, who runs the world? Girls. But will that be true this season on AI after the boys strong showing last night? Here are my thoughts, formed before I've heard any of the judges reactions to be true to my school just like you would to your girl or guy. Hope you like it!

CHELSEA SORRELL: "Cowboy Casanova" A little nervous, not enough breath support. I think for a country vocalist it's not wise to do the pop-iest of all country songs. She isn't bad, but she isn't unforgettable either.

ERIKA VAN PELT: "What About Love" - She's great, but she ultimately doesn't have the pipes for this song - serviceable, real, genuine, enjoyable. But to conquer that song you have to be so much better. It felt like she was hitting the ceiling and not breaking through it.

JEN HIRSH: "One and Only" - What was lacking in the first two, Jen has - her voice gets past the barrier and out to the audience - even in a soft moment. And obviously with a big note too. Great job with a tough song.

BRIELLE VON HUGEL: "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay" - Wasn't her name used in a Roald Dahl book? Good idea to pick more of a standard and riff on it with more of a license. Also to start low and go high, though my wife thinks she started too low. She's a performer, but I'm not sure if everyone in America will take to her.

HALLIE DAY: "Feelin' Good" - I thought she did well in the beginning using the drama and tension of the song, but I was less impressed as she started walking around and losing her breath support. But she's got the potential to be a star. Great start.

SKYLAR LAINE: "Stay With Me" - great start for her, and she was electric. First "raising the roof" performance of the night. Am I starting to like country?

BAYLIE BROWN: "Amazed" - Ironically, she started a bit flat. This isn't a great song anyway, but she was not there. As pretty as she is, that is how off that performance was. But hey, she's pretty.

HOLLY CAVANAUGH: "Reflection" - She has some really interesting vowel substitutions - in the first verse it sounded not quite right. She has one heckuva belt, but that is the only part that is interesting in the performance. But she does it enough to make it better than a lot tonight. Missed the last belt note though.

HALEY JOHNSEN: "Sweet Dreams" - As an 80s child, I appreciate the nod to the original arrangement here - not sure if she's completely pulled off a "Florence + the Eurythmics", but it's close. Great run at the end. Stayed in the character of whatever that was until the very end, and that was commendable. She might be memorable.

SHANNON MCCREA: "Go Light Your World" - CCM in the hizzouse! Good, but a young performance, in that she attacked it too hot too early. She owned the stage though.

JESSICA SANCHEZ: "Love You I Do" - She is crazy good. Her voice sounds like it was manufactured by perfectionists in a rainbow studio filled with unicorns. Wow. And she has the performing prowess to back it up. I hope she picks great songs all the way through like she did tonight. Best of the night by far.

ELISE TESTONE: "One and Only" - Same song as an earlier contestant, but hey, she's playing th piano, so that's different. She's got a great growly voice, but it's kind of a 3 in the morning growl, so I am not sure how memorable that ultimately will be. That last look almost admitted that she ran out of gas.

RANDOM NOTES: I guess the judges got the note from last night about how constructive criticism actually has to include being critical. They were closer to real with Chelsea. Then they admitted being soft after watching it back. Boo.
A singing DJ? What is wrong with Randy? He's making Steven sound coherent tonight.
Okay, Steven just said "my reality check bounced." Check please. Randy, you're the rational one again. What am I saying?

CONTEST! Don't forget, put in your pick in the comments for the one American Idol to win it all, and if you're right - you win a $25 iTunes giftcard from me! You can leave a comment all the way up until the results show airs tomorrow night at 7pm CST.

So who was the best and worst tonight?

_Okay, we're off - time to react as effectively and instantaneously as possible to the vocal prowess of the top 12(13) boys. As always, I form these short sentences before I've heard any of the judges reactions to stay as true as I can to my own thoughts as possible. Hope you like it!

REED GRIM: "Moves Like Jagger" - pretty big risk to jazz up this song - really reveals how brutal the lyrics to this song are. So an A for the risk but a C for execution. But he's the Andy Kaufman of the show and I want to see more.

ADAM BROCK: "Think" - White chocolate, huh? Someone's going to need to tell him that isn't going to stick as a nickname. Solid performance. Strong voice. Needs to be considerate of the CBG vote.

DEANDRE BRACKENSICK: "Reasons" - Earth Wind and Fire is a good choice for his falsetto, but maybe a different song? Between this song and the last two I'm getting confused about what decade I'm in… Time stops for the big high note. And we're back.

COLTON DIXON: "Decode" - Pretty tough to rock out to Paramore with the AI band. I have not been impressed with him thus far and this didn't really change my mind. It's too insular, I can see him feeling it, but I don't see it outside of himself.

JEREMY ROSADO: "Gravity" - It's a little too scratchy for me. I've liked him in earlier performances better. The "bieber-esque" vote is going to be tough for any one of these guys to grab all by themselves. But I like the kid.

AARON MARCELLUS: "Never Can Say Goodbye" - Arsenio, is that you? A perfectly serviceable vocal with some good runs and a killer last note. But for a dancer I would love to see the rest of his body more invested in the performance. The last note earned him that standing ovation.

CHASE LIKENS: "Storm Warning" - Seems like a demographic pick - his voice isn't good enough, pretty thin, but hey, he's a looker (in a Brendan Fraser sort of way), and it's country - but the annoying cowboy from Hollywood week was actually better.

CREIGHTON FRAKER: "True Colors" - He's like Justin Timberlake as impersonated by Dean Pelton from Community (Oscar winner Jim Rash) - I like him, but this pick was boring for me. I want to see something more. But I like his runs and want to see him next week.

_PHILLIP PHILLIPS: "In The Air Tonight" - Where is his acoustic guitar in the mix? I'm angry with them for trying to put in that drum machine in the arrangement. I love him, and it was great, but I lost the feel of it not being able to hear his guitar - without it, it sounded too plodding. But he's awesome.

EBAN FRANCKEWITZ: "Set Fire To The Rain" - Hair. I like him, he's cute, but this was a bad pick for him. This song is impressive in a key where those high notes in the chorus are actually high. Not good, but he's got the Beiberest chance to stave off elimination.

HEEJUN HAN: "Angels" He is my favorite. Not sure if he has the voice versatility to be able to hang on til the end, but I love his personality. Seriously, he cracks me up. And I enjoyed his performance.

JOSHUA LEDET: "You Pulled Me Through" - Wow, let's go to church. See, this guy lets what's inside of him come pouring out in his performance - he has what was missing in Aaron and Colton. Remember them? I didn't think so. That last note had an Eddie Murphy Coming to America vibe, but I don't think anyone standing and applauding noticed.

JERMAINE JONES: "Dance With My Father" - That was a great choice to bring him back - and a great song pick for him. Now we just need him to get over the tall-guy syndrome of bending down to talk to the short people. He needs to straighten up, and embrace the power he clearly has.

RANDOM NOTES: How many times does Randy have to say that this is the eleventh (one-one) season?
Pretty disappointed with the judges not taking Chase to task for bad notes and a shaky voice. Same with Eban.

CONTEST! Don't forget, put in your pick in the comments for the one American Idol to win it all, and if you're right - you win a $25 iTunes giftcard from me! You can leave a comment all the way up until the results show airs on Thursday at 7pm CST.

We'll see the girls tomorrow. Talk to you then. So who was the best and worst tonight?

(NOTE: I realized later that my great idea for a contest showed up pretty late in the day - so I've extended the contest through to Thursday, 7pm CST - when the voting results show starts.)

Friends, Romans, Countrymen: lend me your American Idols...

We have 24, and a surprise 25th competitor coming to our television sets tonight, in the 11th year of American Idol. (12 guys, 12 girls, and then one additional guy that the judges put in in the last minute, but who won't be announced until tonight)

And, as always, I will be blogging my reactions to the performances of the competitors as I watch it - we've gotten through the preliminary auditons, Hollywood week, a jaunt to Las Vegas for the "final finals", and now we're back to LA for the "real" competition, the one where the American People get to vote.

I'm excited, as it's a strong crop of young performers who I think could really make a splash in the pop culture scene.

So here we go: Who wants to pick the winner now? Anyone who puts their pick in the comments section before the first live show tonight will be entered: and anyone who picks the actual winner by the time the final show airs, will win a $25 iTunes giftcard from yours truly.

Anyone. If I have two winners, that's two giftcards. If I have no one pick the winner, well, that's none. So do your research - I'm not going to give you the names here - go to the American Idol Website and determine your pick. You get one pick. (and to be fair, if you pick one of the four dudes who haven't been announced yet, your pick will go to the 25th contestant regardless of which dude it ends up being.)

Good luck!

If you aren't watching ABC's "Once Upon a Time" on Sunday nights, you should be.

Especially if you are a pastor, or work or lead in the creative arts at a church.

See if this sounds familiar: a show takes on fairy tales of old, by taking these old, familiar stories and repackaging them in a way that not only makes them fresh for a new audience but plays upon the collective memory of the old story itself, so that one is simultaneously drawn to the the old, old story but are now witnessing that old story in a new light. Sound familiar?

The show itself runs into trouble from time to time with some less-than-stellar dialogue, and some very obvious CG, but its efforts in telling a story of good and evil, not to mention addressing omnipotent characters and the handling of characters within such a story, well, they are commendable, and there is a lot to learn from them.

Right now you can still see the show for free, streaming all the episodes on abc.com. Check it out and tell me what you think!

And if you want to hear more from me on the topic, download the January 10 episode of the Pop Culture Pulpit Podcast. You can subscribe through iTunes by clicking here.

So I thought I would let my first post of October (eek) be a barrage of coolness: things I've seen/taken in this week that I think is/are awesome.

First up: my new episode of The Pop Culture Pulpit - for the first time I have a guest! My good friend and the "king of tv" Paul Goebel - he talks with me about the new fall tv season, and it was great to have him as a guest. Listen by clicking here.

Next up: Check out this "shadow artist" - his sculptures are crafted and shaped theough steel and shadows. Very creative.

Here's a trailer for a fascinating new movie called The Artist: a film made this past year that utilizes the craft of "silent movie making" to tell its story. What at first sounds cheesy and unnecessary sure does look cool and actually compelling.

Have you ever thought of Jerry Seinfeld as a prophet? You will after seeing this stand-up on the concept of answering machines and their functionality in our contemporary world of Facebook:

And finally, mashups seem to be all the rage, and this one combines the vocal stylings of Tom Waits with the visual impact of cookie monster, and, in many ways... it speaks for itself. Enjoy the clicking everyone!

This week I got a note from a Pop Culture Pulpit listener Murray Blythe - he wanted my take on an artist interview from another podcast.

The podcast in question is called "Who Writes This Stuff" - and it recently featured a two part episode interviewing Derek Webb, a solo artist who happens to be a Christian, but who comes from one of the ole favorites of Contemporary Christian music, Caedmon's Call.

Caedmon's Call was a Godsend to those of us planning weekend services in the late nineties. Here was an intelligent band on a Christian label writing great songs that challenged you lyrically and set the stage for further discussion. Pretty much exactly what you wanted for a special song during a service.

Murray Blythe listens to my podcast from Australia, where he lives and works. This fact has no bearing on my story, other than I think it's cool.

So on this week's podcast, I brought up the podcast and the Derek Webb interview - and I inteved my listeners to listen to the interview and weigh in on the topic discussed - primarily,  the way that Christians must balance expectation and/or restrictions with authenticity in the way they express their art. I haven't listened yet, but my plan is to do so and then offer my take on it as I step up the the pop culture pulpit in a future episode.

So if you'd like, mozy on over to WHO WRITES THIS STUFF and listen to the interview - then head back to the POP CULTURE PULPIT to discuss. Or leave a comment here, and as I'm working on the podcast, I'll incorporate your feedback.

Thanks and have a great rest of your September!

The next installment of the Pop Culture Pulpit is now live and ready for download! This one is Episode 62 and is called "White Guilt" - check out the ramblings regarding The Hunger Games and The Help - both books made into new movies coming soon.

Listen to the show, won't you? You can subscribe with iTunes by clicking here

Stream or download using your favorite RSS feeder here

Stream live right on my website here

Stream or download on the podcast website here

And if you simply refuse to click away from this awesome page - use the player below to enjoy the show! Thanks for supporting the podcast!

I have to say that I am eagerly anticipating the final film installment of the Harry Potter series next week. Almost as much as I am the opening of Epic Theatre Company's production of The Mystery of Irma Vep... Almost.

Got excited today as I caught nine small clips that MTV has leaked from the film - check them out below if you simply can't wait until next week!

And get your tickets to Mystery of Irma Vep too!

Well it's been an interesting week for pop culture, everyone getting over the fact that no one obviously Christian had been raptured after Saturday had passed. There were several items I saw on the pop culture landscape today that I thought were worth mentioning, so here goes:

First, it's been exactly one year since LOST gave us a Series Finale worth talking about. Entertainment Weekly's Doc Jensen offers up part one of a commemorative piece about the show and its themes today, focusing in on the spiritual themes of the show and his take on them. You can read that article here.

Secondly, Lady Gaga released "Born This Way" the complete CD today - I had the opportunity yesterday at Starbucks to stream the entire collection on my computer, and I have to say that her faithful re-creation of the best parts of eighties music arrangement and production was practically a religious experience for me. But lyrically, she has never been more in tune with exploring the spiritual side of things: songs about God, Jesus, Mary, Judas... she may be picking and choosing from the religion buffet table lyrically, but she knows a great pop riff when she steals (writes) it...

And third, it was announced today that Mark Burnett of "Survivor" fame has been contracted by the History Channel to create a series called "The Bible", which will combine live-action and CG effects to tell selected stories of the Bible. Could be interesting. Read a tiny article about that here.

And if you would prefer to listen to my dulcet tones describing that which I see all around me in the world of pop culture through the internets and directly onto your favorite mp3 player, please subscribe to my podcast! The Pop Culture Pulpit is ready for you - just uploaded a new episode yesterday - and if you have listened to the show and enjoyed it, I would love it if you headed over to the iTunes page and left positive feedback. Apparently that kind of feedback is very valuable in that area of the internets... so help me help me!